Sabbath observance is a central command in the Old Testament and a topic of significant theological importance throughout Scripture. The Sabbath is first introduced in Genesis 2:2–3, where God rested on the seventh day after creating the heavens and the earth:
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done… Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it…”
This rest was not due to fatigue but was a divine example of completion and holiness. Later, in Exodus 20:8–11, the Sabbath became the fourth of the Ten Commandments:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy… the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work…”
The Sabbath was a covenantal sign between God and Israel (Exodus 31:16–17), a day for rest, worship, and reflection on God’s creation and redemption. It was strictly enforced under Mosaic Law, with severe penalties for violation (Numbers 15:32–36).
However, the prophets also emphasized that Sabbath observance was not just ritual. It was meant to reflect the heart’s devotion to God (Isaiah 58:13–14; Ezekiel 20:12–13).
In the New Testament, Jesus observed the Sabbath but also challenged legalistic distortions of it. He healed on the Sabbath and declared:
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
(Mark 2:27–28)
This pointed to His authority and the deeper purpose of Sabbath rest, not as mere rule-keeping but as a symbol of spiritual rest in Him.
The New Testament does not command Sabbath observance for the Church. Romans 14:5 and Colossians 2:16–17 both affirm Christian liberty regarding holy days:
“Let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths…”
The Sabbath foreshadowed the rest believers now have in Christ (Hebrews 4:9–10). While the moral principle of rest and worship remains valuable, the specific observance of the seventh-day Sabbath was part of the Old Covenant with Israel.